The Transformation of Europe

Reviews / Votes

'Joseph Weiler's 'The Transformation of Europe' was a seminal article that placed previous developments in sharp perspective, and contained valuable insights on the future challenges facing the EU. The article has stood the test of time. This volume provides a fitting tribute to Weiler's article, with important contributions from prominent scholars in the field that reflect on Weiler's scholarship from a variety of perspectives.' Paul Craig, University of Oxford ''The Transformation of Europe' had a decisive impact on the constitution of a smarter knowledge about European integration. It helped a generation of scholars to liberate themselves from the notion of a postwar new European order placed above the fray of inter-state relations and agonistic about political preferences and social conflicts, ideological differences and value choices. It made them aware of the amorphous, conflictive and precarious character of European integration. It reintroduced in the picture the tension inherent in a political project making the existence of states subject to their coexistence and it turned this tension into the normative core of the project. This book is an effort by the same generation of scholars to revisit 'The Transformation of Europe' in view of their own conceptions developed since and thanks to the publication of the piece. A superb exercise of self-reflection and reappropriation of knowledge. A unique way of rethinking Europe in our time." Loic Azoulai, Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris 'Amongst the many possible definitions of a 'classic', two features frequently arise. A classic most often connects worlds or ideas that are generally seen as distinct, and it stands the test of time: It may be revisited, amended, possibly improved, but a classic always provides us with a lens through which we understand the world. Weiler's The Transformation of Europe certainly meets these criteria and, as such, deserves the attention it gets here from a group of distinguished scholars.' Renaud Dehousse, President, European University Institute, Florence 'This outstanding collection of essays transforms the 'Transformation of Europe'. Marking the 25th anniversary of Joseph Weiler's famous essay by that name, the authors take stock of how the European Union has developed in the quarter century since the essay was published, showing how Weiler's then-revolutionary blending of legal and political analysis remains the most useful way to comprehend the EU. As European crises have proliferated, Weiler's analysis of the structural tensions in the European project has looked more and more prescient. Legitimacy remains in short supply; European values are under stress. But the authors - an all-star cast of EU experts with a new essay by Professor Weiler himself - explore the way forward from the EU's present state of crisis and self-doubt. This collection is a compelling addition to the reading list of everyone concerned with the past, present and future of the European Union.' Kim Lane Scheppele, Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School and University Center for Human Values 'This inspiring interdisciplinary, international and inter-generational collection of essays reinforces how Joseph Weiler's vivid writing and intriguing arguments energize the minds of scholars from diverse fields even today.' Karen J. Alter, Northwestern University, Illinois 'What is the European construct and how to evaluate its current crisis? This book deserves a place of honor in the debate on the Union. ... The authors of this book revisit Joseph Weiler's foundational analysis of the European Union and provide a key to the understanding of successes and failures of this experiment ... [whilst also] capturing the essence of the European experiment. This work will likely influence public debate on the crisis of the Union. ... A critical re-appraisal of an important book and, in the meantime, a diagnosis of the current crisis of the European Union. ... A thoughtful and reasoned book about successes and failures of the European Union.' Sabino Cassese, Former Justice, Italian Constitutional Court